A Different Sort of Family Reunion
by LorelaiSquared
Summary: The Doctor and Rose encounter someone from the Doctor's past. Can they unravel the mystery that surrounds her in time to keep her safe?
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note:** Written for **mrs_roy** who made a very generous donation on my behalf in the April Support Stacie Author's auction. Thank you!

A massively huge thank you to **frakup** and **gioiamia** for tackling this beast on such short notice. I greatly appreciate it!

**A Different Sort of Family Reunion**

Chapter 1

It was strange the way it happened. Rose and the Doctor had been playfully arguing over the merits of visiting Edsma or Zerys when the TARDIS began to shudder and shake violently.

The Doctor raced toward the console, frowning at the readings he saw on the screen. "What? That's impossible."

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, coming to stand beside him.

"The time refractor seems to be malfunctioning. It's pulling us out of the time vortex on its own and hurtling us through space." As he spoke, he fiddled frantically with multiple switches and buttons on the console.

Rose peered over his shoulder. "Can you stop it?"

"I'm trying but the system is locked." The Doctor pulled out a mallet and banged it against the console with a loud thump.

"No!" The Doctor shouted suddenly as the bells began to toll through the cavernous room. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" He raced around to the other side of the console and began frantically tapping on the keyboard.

"What is it?" Rose looked at the screen, but all she could see was a series of incomprehensible Gallifreyan symbols.

"We're going to crash into that planet!" The Doctor pointed to a tiny character on the left of the screen.

"What planet is it?" Rose asked, even as she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Earth."

*****

After trying everything he could think of to stop the impending crash, the Doctor finally gave up and strapped himself and Rose to the captain's chair using a complex seat belt system he'd recently designed. Together, they braced themselves for the inevitable blow.

It seemed to take eons for the TARDIS to complete its disastrous descent, but finally they landed with a cacophony of sound, flame and sparks. Carefully, they trudged their way to the door, finding themselves in an empty, sterile corridor. It was completely dark, save for a tiny sliver of moonlight that shone though the TARDIS-shaped hole in the ceiling. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, illuminating the corridor with an eerie, blue glow.

They reached the end of the corridor and entered a small room off to the side. There was a yellow glow emitting from one corner of the room, and as they approached it they became aware of a woman lying in a heap on the floor.

Rose reached her first, brushing long, blond hair out of her way as she checked the woman's pulse.

"She's alive!" Rose proclaimed. She frowned as she looked up and noticed an odd expression on the Doctor's face.

He was standing a few feet away, perfectly still as he stared at the young woman, his eyes wide and his breathing ragged.

"Doctor?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Jenny," he whispered.

Rose froze. "Jenny?" she gasped. "But I thought she died!"

"I thought she had." He dropped to his knees beside the woman, cradling her head in his lap. "The last time I saw her was on Messaline. I held her in my arms as she died."

"Maybe she regenerated?" Rose suggested.

"I'd hoped she would," the Doctor said as he stroked Jenny's hair. "But I stayed with her a long time and nothing happened."

Rose was pensive. "Maybe it just took a while?"

The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know. She… she looks exactly the same." He studied her intently. "How'd she end up on Earth though?"

"Let's figure out the whys and hows later." Rose interjected. "Right now I think she needs help, she's bleeding." Rose pointed to a gash on Jenny's arm. "She's also unconscious, and her pulse was weak."

"Right," the Doctor agreed. "Let's get her to the TARDIS."

As Rose helped the Doctor roll Jenny from her side to her back so they could lift her more easily, she gasped. "Uhh, Doctor, there's something else."

Rose pointed to Jenny's abdomen and when the Doctor followed her finger with his gaze he could see a large, round, protruding bump.

"I think you're going to be a grandfather!" Rose said lightly.

The Doctor smiled and scooped Jenny into his arms. "I guess I am."

*****

Two hours later, Rose was just pouring some fresh tea when the Doctor emerged from the infirmary, looking exhausted. He had performed a thorough examination and yet he still had more questions than answers.

"Is she awake?" Rose asked as she took out another cup and filled it before passing it to him.

"No, not yet, Love," the Doctor said fondly as he planted a light kiss on Rose's cheek before dropping into the nearest chair. "She's only sleeping now, though. I found traces of a sedative in her blood, but it's almost worked its way through her system so I suspect she'll wake up soon."

"What about her arm?"

"Mostly a surface wound that looked worse than it is. I think she hit it on something; maybe when she fell?"

"Is the baby okay?"

The Doctor grinned. "Both babies are just fine!"

Rose's eyes widened. "Both!?!?"

He nodded. "I did a full ultrasound. Jenny is having twins, and if my calculations are correct, and they probably are, she's going to deliver them within the next week!"

"Wow. That's soon."

"It is."

They were interrupted by a sudden crash from the infirmary. They exchanged a worried glance before abandoning their tea and racing toward the sound.

*****

Jenny was thrashing about on the small bed, knocking over everything within reach of her flailing arms.

Rose gasped as fresh blood began to seep through the bandage on her arm. She raced forward and gently held the young woman's arm, preventing her from doing any further damage. Jenny stared at her with wild, frightened eyes, her mouth open in a silent scream.

"It's all right Jenny," the Doctor whispered soothingly as he came to stand on her other side. "You're safe now."

Jenny tore her eyes away from Rose and stared at the Doctor. Her eyes widened in shock even as Rose felt her body begin to relax beneath her hands.

Jenny tried to speak, but no sound came out. She tried again and this time Rose could hear a raspy outtake of air. Rose released the girl and quickly poured her a glass of water using the pitcher that the Doctor had left on one of the counters. She handed it to Jenny and she nodded gratefully before raising the glass to her lips and drinking it eagerly.

"Dad?" Jenny whispered hoarsely once she had drained the glass and handed it back to Rose.

The Doctor took her hand and sat on the side of her bed. "Jenny," he said simply.

She looked up at him in wonder. "But how did you --?" Her voice broke and she started to cough. Rose quickly refilled the glass and handed it to Jenny.

"Thank you," Jenny whispered, once she'd emptied the glass. She smiled up at Rose for a moment then glanced around in confusion. "Who are you? Where's Donna? Did something happen to her?"

The Doctor squeezed her hand. "Donna is fine, she's with family. This is Rose Tyler." He grinned at her fondly, his eyes sparkling.

Jenny relaxed visibly. "Oh." She turned to Rose. "It's nice to meet you."

Rose's expression was soft. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I didn't think I'd ever have the opportunity."

"What do you mean?"

"The Doctor thought you were dead. We all did."

Jenny turned to look at him and Rose could see the pain reflected in his eyes as he mentally relived the moment when he'd thought he'd lost Jenny. Jenny must have seen it too, for she reached out with her free hand and stroked his face comfortingly.

"I'm okay," she assured him. "I've seen new worlds, helped people – there was lots of running!"

Rose laughed. "There always is." She came around the side of the bed and rested her hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "But how did you end up on earth? You don't have a TARDIS do you?"

Jenny shook her head. "I had a rocket ship. It was wonderful, travelling from place to place. At least it was until…" She trailed off and glanced down at her abdomen as though she were suddenly remembering her predicament.

The Doctor and Rose waited silently for her to continue but instead her entire body began to tremble as a sudden flood of tears flowed from her eyes. They exchanged a brief look of surprise before springing into action to comfort the girl. The Doctor tugged her hand, pulling her into a hug while Rose rubbed her back.

After a while, Jenny's tears ceased and she gradually relaxed. The Doctor released her and looked as though he were about to ask her about the outburst but Rose stopped him with a glance. It was clear, that whatever had happened to Jenny to get her to this point was deeply disturbing to the young woman and what she needed right now was comfort and safety, not questions.

"You should rest," Rose said softly, taking the Doctor's hand and tugging him up to stand beside her. "Stress isn't good for the babies. If you need anything, we're just down the hall."

Jenny nodded. "Thank you. Both of you."

"That's what _family_ is for." Rose smiled. "Now please, rest."

They were nearly to the door when Jenny called out to them, her voice strained with fear and concern. "What about the others?"

"The others?" The Doctor spun around, his face screwed up in puzzlement. "What others?"

"The other people who were in the hospital when… when _it_ came." Jenny closed her eyes for a moment and shuddered. "Are they all right?"

"Jenny." The Doctor's voice was gentle. "There was no one else in that room when we arrived."

Jenny's eyes widened. "But all those people…"

"We will figure it out, don't worry." Rose opened the door and started to pull the Doctor though.

"No!" Jenny yelled, panic straining her voice. "There isn't time. You don't understand. It will come back for me."

Rose's blood ran cold and her skin began to crawl as she processed Jenny's words. _What_ was it that had her so frightened? From what she knew of Jenny, the girl had been confident and fearless. What had happened to her?

The Doctor returned to Jenny's bedside, looking down at her intently. "Nothing is going to happen to you, Jenny. You're safe now. If anyone or anything tries to get at you they will have to come through me. Your job right now is to rest and take care of these grandbabies of mine." He patted her stomach fondly. "Doctor's orders."

The corners of Jenny's mouth began to turn upward slightly. "Okay, Dad. I can do that. But first, you should know…"

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jenny breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed behind Rose and her father. Even though she hadn't wanted to, she had forced herself to fill him in on the most pertinent details of what had happened in the hospital room. She had been afraid that he might go looking for it and she wanted him to know what it was he was dealing with. Or at least as much as she knew, which honestly was frustratingly little. She also wanted him to search for those who had been in the room with her at the time of the attack: two other patients, Rosemary and Samantha, plus their nurses Louise and Barbra, as well as Doctor Stevenson.

So she'd told him the basics. She had collapsed in the supermarket a fortnight ago and been brought to hospital. They'd placed her on strict bed rest until the babies arrived. Everything had been fine until the _thing_ had found her. It had burst through the window, attacking Rosemary first and then Louise. After that. mayhem had broken out and Jenny wasn't quite sure what had happened. She remembered hearing screaming, thuds and shattering glass before everything had gone dark and she had awoken on the TARDIS.

She was positive that the Doctor knew she wasn't telling him the whole story, but she'd told him the most important parts. The rest could come later, when she was ready – once she'd figured out just how to explain it all.

Jenny heard vibrant female laughter coming from another area of the TARDIS and it made her smile. She'd liked Rose instantly, and even though they had never met before, Jenny felt as though she _knew _her, as though they were somehow connected. She was looking forward to getting to know her better.

Her thoughts turned to her father. Although he seemed much more at peace than he had on Messaline, Jenny had sensed deep sadness within him. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she was certain that he had suffered great losses and pain since she'd last seen him. She was also positive that he hadn't told her the whole truth about Donna.

Beneath the sadness, though, there had been a glimmer of something else. Something lighter. He was happier, she realized. Something had happened that had started to heal the pain of his loss and if she wasn't very much mistaken, that something had to do with Rose. Jenny had not been able to miss the warm looks that they'd exchanged throughout the conversation. Nor had she missed the tender way in which Rose had comforted the Doctor with a gentle touch. When she'd first met her father, Jenny had observed a comfortable rapport between him and Donna, but it had been much different than what she'd just observed between him and Rose. No, unless she was incredibly wrong, and Jenny was never wrong, her father was in love with Rose Tyler.

*****

As soon as they left Jenny's room, the Doctor and Rose returned to where they'd first found her to search for any sign of the other people Jenny had mentioned. But other than a few drops of blood and some broken glass and medical equipment, they found nothing.

From there they did a sweep of the rest of the floor, finding it completely deserted and empty. It looked as though whoever had been there, had left in a hurry leaving a trail of tousled beds and scattered medical paraphernalia in their wake. A broader search yielded similar results: the entire three story building had been abandoned.

"How does the population of an entire hospital just vanish?" Rose wanted to know.

"Indeed." The Doctor tugged gently on his right ear. "If they had been attacked by the creature Jenny described, then we should see bodies, or other signs of carnage."

"But that's just it, Doctor. There's no sign of any kind of fighting. Besides the broken glass in Jenny's room, it just looks as though they left in a hurry. But why? Did they evacuate? And if they did, why was Jenny left behind?"

"All excellent questions! Something isn't quite adding up. What am I missing?" He ran his hands through his hair, pulling gently on the ends. "Think, think, think!"

He began to pace in front of the TARDIS. Suddenly he stopped pacing and sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?"

"What?" Rose frowned and sniffed but all she could smell was a faint twinge of bleach. "I smell bleach but that's all."

"Exactly."

"Exactly what?"

"'That's all.'"

Rose stared at him, baffled.

"This is a hospital. It should be all kinds of smelly. Hospital food, medicine, sick – it should have those smells. It should be _smelly._"

Rose's eyes widened. "So you're saying - "

"Someone else has been here and they cleaned up the creature's mess."

"Do you mean…" Rose swallowed. "Do you mean it _killed_ all those people and they just covered it up?"

"I don't think it _killed _them all, or even any. But someone has been here. Who? Who would come in and try to make it look like nothing happened? Who would clear everyone out except for Jenny? Who --"

"Torchwood!" They both exclaimed at once.

"Yes! That's it! This has Torchwood's faulty fingerprints all over it. They must have intervened. But why?"

"Because it's what we do." Rose jumped nearly a foot as Captain Jack Harkness stepped out of the shadows. He walked toward them, his open jacket flapping behind him.

"Jack." The Doctor said stiffly.

Jack smiled but it wasn't exactly friendly. "Doctor. I've been waiting for you."

*****

"We've been tracking Jenny for quite some time." Jack explained as he took a biscuit from the plate Rose had just set on the table next to the tea. He winked at her. "Thanks, Love."

"Why Jenny?" the Doctor wanted to know.

"For the same reason we track anything that crash lands on Earth from outer space."

Rose choked on her tea. "Jenny crashed?"

Jack nodded. "In a great big fancy rocket ship." He took a sip of his tea. "Luckily she landed in the middle of nowhere."

The Doctor contemplated the news silently for a moment. "When was this?"

"Exactly seventy-nine days ago."

"Just over three months then."

"That's right." Jack's voice softened. "She was a mess when she landed, Doctor. Pregnant, disoriented, and terrified."

Rose blinked back tears. "Poor Jenny."

Jack nodded. "She bonded with Gwen quickly, but even she couldn't get Jenny to divulge any details of what happened to her. It was only after we ran some tests and discovered she was a Time Lord that I let her go." Jack shot the Doctor an angry look. "You could have warned me that you two had a daughter out there. I would have given her a better welcome."

"She's not mine," Rose whispered sadly.

"She's as much yours as she is mine," the Doctor insisted. "She may have technically only come from my DNA, but you were on my thoughts – you were always in my thoughts, and I think the machine used that data to help form her. My first thought when I saw her was, 'She looks like Rose'."

Rose swallowed hard, deeply touched by the Doctor's admission. She had felt an instant connection to Jenny, but she'd never imagined that the Doctor basically saw her as Jenny's mother. If Jack hadn't been there at that moment, she might have kissed the Doctor right there and then, consequences be damned, but since he was present, she settled for reaching for his hand beneath the table and squeezing it gently.

"Thank you."

The Doctor wove his fingers between hers in response and looked back at Jack. "I didn't tell you because I thought she was dead."

Immediately the hostility that Jack had been emanating since he'd shown up, melted away. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. She's back now, that's all that matters. Please, continue."

Jack took a deep breath. "When we let her go, we set her up with a human identity and a flat. We also found her a physician. She had no way of leaving the planet, since her rocket was irreparable, so she did her best to start trying to live a normal life."

"We kept watching her, and Gwen visited her on a regular basis. We were never able to discern anything about what had happened to her prior to landing on Earth, though. Gwen tried a few times to get her to tell her about the babies' father but every time, Jenny would shut down completely and get a haunted look in her eyes."

"Do you know what it was that attacked her?" Rose's voice was filled with concern.

"We do now. It was a Xevengow. It's a horrific-looking scaly creature with horns and poisonous sharp teeth. We think it followed Jenny here, possibly from its home planet of Bedangowlen."

"What does it want?"

"We suspect it wants her children."

Rose's jaw dropped in shock and she stared at Jack. "The Xevengow wants Jenny's children? Why?"

"We don't know. Our most current theory is that maybe the Xevengow eats babies. One of the women in the ward with Jenny was attacked before we could get there. She's all right but she told us that the creature was focused on her stomach."

Revolted, Rose buried her head in the Doctor's shoulder.

"What about the other women?" The Doctor's voice was strained. "Are they okay?"

"Yes, they're all fine. One of the nurses ended up with a broken arm, but other than that we managed to get everyone out with nothing more than a few bumps and bruises."

"What about Jenny?" Rose asked, lifting her head and eying Jack wearily. "When we found her she was alone."

"Minor oversight," Jack said quickly with a wave of his hand. "We think she was accidentally hit with a tranquilizer when we were trying to detain the Xevengow and she fell out of sight."

The Doctor was outraged. "You _think_? You were monitoring it. How could you have possibly missed that?"

"It was chaos in there," Jack hissed defensively. "The Xevengow tore through the hospital and was nearly out the main doors before we managed to stop it. It took our entire team to take it down. In all the craziness, none of us realized that Jenny had been left until after we'd completed our clean sweep of the building and were on our way back to Torchwood."

"If that's the case, then Torchwood is even more inept than I thought," the Doctor scoffed.

"Hey. That creature was extremely dangerous. Our priority had to be the threat. If that thing had managed to get loose…" Jack shuddered.

"Really, Jack, I expected more from you."

"Doctor --" Rose cut in.

He spun his head toward her, his eyes dark pools of fury. "She's my _daughter_. Keeping her safe should have been the first priority."

"But Doctor, what would you have done?" Rose placed her hand on his arm. He flexed it tensely beneath her fingers. "You know Jack couldn't let that creature loose in the city."

The Doctor sighed and gradually Rose felt him relaxing beneath her touch. "Maybe," he said doubtfully.

She dropped her hand and they both focused on Jack as he spoke again.

"As soon as I noticed Jenny was missing, I ran back here and found you."

Both the Doctor and Rose stared at him incredulously.

"Just how thick do you think I am?" the Doctor asked coldly. "Torchwood does have a tendency to screw up, but you would never be so thoughtless as to leave the building without your charge. You'd have made sure Jenny was secured before finishing up." He stood glowering down at Jack, his face livid. "What's the real reason you left her?"

"I told you--"

"Wait." Rose narrowed her eyes at Jack suspiciously. "You were waiting for us."

"No. It was just a coincidence that I ran into you," Jack insisted.

"No. It wasn't." The Doctor held Jack's gaze as he came around the table stooping over until they were eye to eye. "We've been here for a few hours. You knew we were coming. You even said you were waiting for me."

Jack opened his mouth to argue, then sighed, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I left her on purpose," he admitted, causing Rose to gasp and glare at him. He continued quickly, "I hoped that if I left her in apparent danger, the TARDIS would bring you to her."

"You put my daughter in jeopardy for something you'd 'hoped' would happen?" The Doctor glared at Jack.

Jack glared back. "She needed her father. She's pregnant, by an unknown species, and some kind of nasty being from another planet is trying to attack her. She needed you Doctor. So yes, I took a risk, but I had no other option."

"Of course you had an option. You always have a choice. You should have found another way."

"There was no other way, Doctor!" Jack shouted. "There wasn't time."

Rose noted the fear in Jack's voice and frowned. "There's something you're not telling us." It was a statement, not a fact.

"No, I --"

"Jack, she's our daughter. Tell us why you couldn't wait."

Jack still looked reluctant, but he spoke. "There are more Xevengow coming. I don't think they'll stop until Jenny and her children are dead."

Rose felt her blood run cold. Across the table she heard the Doctor's breath catch in his throat.

She and Jack stared at the Doctor as he swallowed hard and seemed to pull himself together. "I don't agree with _how_ you did it, but clearly we don't have time for anger right now." He returned to his seat and took a sip of his now cold tea. "Tell me everything you know about the Xevengow."

_TBC_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Rose shook her head slightly as she watched Jack and the Doctor leave the TARDIS. After prying every possible detail from Jack, the Doctor had decided that he needed to see and question the Xevengow himself to be certain that Torchwood had not missed anything.

Once she heard their footsteps fade away, she boiled the kettle again and took down a tea tray. It was one they had purchased at the market on Faaryn. It was made out of exotic blue, alien wood that had been bent and twisted into a swirled pattern of intricate shapes.

The kettle began to whistle, so Rose quickly removed it from the stove and poured water over the teabags that she'd set out in a unique, elephant shaped teapot. She placed it gingerly on the tray, quickly adding a small pitcher of cream and a sugar bowl along with a plate of finger food, and a cup and saucer, before lifting the tray and carrying it down the hall to Jenny's room.

Jenny was already sitting up. "Hi," she said cheerfully as Rose entered the room.

"Hiya Jenny." Rose set the tea tray over the girl's lap and settled herself into the arm chair that had been placed next to the bed. "I brought you something to eat."

"Thank you." Jenny smiled and immediately began to nibble on a grape.

After Jenny had eaten a few more things and was sipping her tea, Rose said softly. "We saw Jack."

Jenny's hand shook slightly and her face widened in shock for a moment before she regained her composure. "What did he tell you?"

"Mostly that you crashed here a little over three months ago and that you were attacked by a Xevengow."

Jenny shivered at the name. "Yes, that's right," she whispered, "Only--"

"Only what?" Rose prompted gently.

Jenny considered her carefully for a moment, her eyes darting back and forth as she examined Rose's face closely. Finally she nodded as though deciding something and took a deep breath. "There are a lot of things they don't know."

"You didn't trust them." Rose fought an amused smile that threatened to tug at the corners of her mouth.

"Not entirely."

"Your father will be very proud of you."

"He will?"

Rose laughed at the startled expression on the young girl's face. "Yeah. He doesn't trust Torchwood either."

Jenny gaped at her for a moment, and then threw her head back and within moments her tinkling laughter mixed with Rose's. "It's not that I didn't trust them to keep me safe – well I mean, I didn't, not really, but I didn't feel _unsafe_ either – it's more that what happened to me it --" Jenny shuddered again, and Rose could see fear reflected in her eyes.

Rose reached out to grasp her hand and instantly Jenny relaxed. She squeezed Rose's hand gratefully and continued, "What happened to me, it was horrible and awful and very personal and I didn't feel comfortable sharing it with any of them." Jenny's voice dropped considerably as she spoke and Rose had to strain to hear her.

"That's perfectly understandable," Rose acknowledged reassuringly. "Some things are difficult to talk about, even with people you're close to."

Jenny nodded in agreement, turning away to stare at the abandoned tea tray. "Rose?" she whispered, still looking away.

"What is it, Jenny?"

Jenny swallowed. "I know that technically we just met and we barely know each other, but -" she looked at Rose again, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "- I feel closer to you than I've felt to anyone since, since the Doctor. It's like we're connected."

Deeply touched, Rose's own eyes glistened and she held Jenny's hand more tightly. "I feel that connection too. The Doctor said earlier that he was thinking about me when you were created. Maybe that's why?"

"So you're kind of like…" Jenny hesitated, biting her lip nervously as though debating whether she should continue or not. "…my mother?"

"I guess I am."

Jenny smiled shyly. "I'd like it if you were. I've never had a mother before."

Rose grinned. "I'd like that, too."

They stared at each other happily for a moment before Jenny spoke again. "Girls can tell their mothers everything, right?"

"Some do. My mum was always there when I needed her." Rose had to swallow the lump in her throat. She was used to missing Jackie, but she still felt a pang every time she thought of her Mum, living without her in the other universe. She hoped that she and Pete and Tony were okay.

"I want to tell you." Jenny spoke so quietly that Rose almost missed it.

"Tell me what?"

"Everything."

The Doctor returned to the TARDIS, pleased with himself at the way he'd managed to pry information out of the Xevengow. It hadn't been easy, of course, but what he'd learned had been useful – which was more than he could say about what Jack had discovered.

Grinning, he unlocked the familiar blue door and strode in, stroking the console tenderly as he passed it and went off in search of Rose. He found her leaning against the door to Jenny's room, tearstains visible on her face.

Alarmed, he instantly pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Rose, what's wrong?"

Rose squeezed him tightly then stepped back nodded to the door. "Not here."

He frowned slightly, but nodded and followed her into the library.

"Jenny told me what happened to her," Rose explained, once they were seated on the plush sofa.

"You mean --?"

Rose nodded. "All of it, the babies, their father, the crash – everything." Fresh tears began to trickle down her cheeks and before he knew it Rose was throwing her arms around him. "Oh, Doctor. It's so horrible."

He pulled her into a warm and comforting embrace, rubbing her back calmly, even as pain for Jenny stabbed at his own hearts. "Can you tell me?"

Rose turned her head so that she was leaning one cheek against his chest. "Yes. Jenny asked me to. It was hard for her to talk about. She didn't think she could relive it again." Rose shivered.

What could have happened to Jenny that would make Rose this upset? He wanted to know, but he didn't want to rush her. He knew that Rose would tell him everything in her own time.

Rose snuggled more comfortably into his arms and took a deep breath. "Jenny was married - "

The Doctor frowned. "Was?"

"Shh, I'll get there."

"Sorry. Go on."

"As I was saying, Jenny was married to the prince of a planet called Valr. She was madly in love with him and they were delighted to be having children. She said they were really happy – until the night the sky turned red and war broke out."

"Hundreds of those creatures, the Xevengow, invaded the city, killing anyone and anything in their path, storming their way to the castle. The castle's army tried to protect it, but they were outnumbered and before long they had overwhelmed the small brigade and were entering the castle. Jenny's husband urged her to run, to hide herself but she wouldn't leave him so they both grabbed weapons and raced downstairs to defend the kingdom."

"They fought hard. Jenny said that her husband killed several of the Xevengow, but there were too many of them. Doctor, Jenny watched as the creatures killed her husband and his parents." Tears flowed from Rose's eyes, and the Doctor felt moisture dampening his own.

"My god."

"I know. She could barely speak when she told me about this Doctor, she kept closing her eyes as though trying not to remember."

The Doctor felt a pang. The thought of his daughter going through that alone, scared and pregnant broke his heart. "How did she get away?"

"She ran." Rose smiled slightly through the tears. "She ran as fast as she could to her rocket ship and took off without looking back."

"And the crash?"

"She didn't have time to refuel before she took off so she ran out. It happened so fast that she only had time to steer herself over a clear area of land before she crashed to the earth. The rest of the story is pretty much what Jack told us."

They sat in silence, wrapped in each other's arms.

"It fits," the Doctor murmured incredulously. "The damn thing was actually telling the truth."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Xevengow at Torchwood. I questioned him with Jack and managed to get him to speak to me. He wouldn't say much, but he did say that his planet Bedangowlen is dying and that Jenny was a threat to his species' existence."

"Jenny? How could she be a threat?"

"That's what I was wondering, but now it's all making sense." The Doctor stood up, pulling Rose with him. He took her hand in his and dragged her to the control room. Quickly, he punched into something the computer, then peered at the map that appeared on the monitor. "Ah ha! Rose, look at this."

He pointed to two little dots on the screen. "Are those planets?"

"Valr and Bedangowlen to be exact."

"They're neighbours?" Rose looked more closely. "So if Bedangowlen is dying then the Xevengow need a new home, and they want Valr."

"Exactly."

"And Jenny's a threat because --"

"Her children are the heirs to the Valrian throne."

"Wow." Rose's eyes were wide. "Maybe you could convince them that Jenny's not a threat."

"I tried that already. It didn't work." The Doctor stared at the two small dots again and suddenly he had an idea. A brilliant idea. "I can stop this!" he shouted excitedly, dancing around the console, calibrating it for flight.

"How?"

"Wait and see, Rose. Wait and --- What?" The TARDIS suddenly made a loud screeching sound as the time rotor moved twice and slowed to an abrupt stop. "No! No, no, no, no, no!" The Doctor banged on the console.

"What happened?"

"She must have been damaged in the rough landing," the Doctor guessed as he pulled up the floor grating and slid below, examining the machinery. "We're stuck here."

"Can you fix it?"

"Of course, but it will take ---."

A sudden, ear piercing scream caused them both to freeze.

"Jenny!" they cried in unison.

Then they both started running, and all the Doctor could do was hope that they'd get there in time.

_TBC_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Rose's heart pounded frenetically as she raced into Jenny's room. She'd expected to see a Xevengow attacking her, but instead she simply saw Jenny hunched over, her face contorted in pain.

"Jenny!" Rose shouted, running to the bedside and rubbing the girl's back. "It's okay, it's going to be okay."

Slowly, Jenny began to relax and she leaned back against the pillow, panting from exertion. She smiled meekly. "Thanks Rose." She looked around the room. "Where's Dad?"

Rose frowned at the empty doorway and shook her head in confusion. "I'm not sure, he was with me when we were coming to your room."

Before either of them could ponder his whereabouts further, he burst through the door, his arms over flowing with medical supplies and tiny diapers.

"What is all that?" Jenny asked, pointing.

"Mostly human obstetric equipment," he answered rapidly, placing the diapers on a side counter before tearing around the infirmary setting up machines and tubes.

"But we're in an infirmary," Rose pointed out.

"An infirmary filled with alien technology that's not fit for birthing babies." The Doctor set up an IV and attached it to Jenny's arm.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Jenny's scream filled the room and the Doctor jumped back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't," Rose said calmly, rubbing Jenny's back again. "She's having another contraction."

"Already?" When it was over, the Doctor gently attached a monitor to Jenny's abdomen and instantly the swish of heartbeats filled the air.

All three of them held their breath as they listened. Jenny's eyes brimmed with moisture and she immediately reached for Rose and the Doctor's hands. They stood that way until the next contraction started and Jenny cried out in pain.

Rose squeezed her hand and rubbed her back again as the Doctor moved to the foot of the bed and prepared himself for what appeared to be an extremely quick birth.

Nine minutes later, he passed his granddaughter to Rose and reached down just in time to deliver his grandson. Both babies cried as air entered their lungs, and their little fists flailed in the air. While the Doctor finished up with Jenny, Rose cleaned the newborns, diapered them, and wrapped them tightly in blankets that the TARDIS seemed to have provided for her.

Gathering both infants in her arms, Rose carried them gently to the bed and handed them to Jenny.

Jenny's eyes swam with tears of joy. "They're perfect," she whispered, gazing down at them lovingly.

"They're beautiful," Rose agreed, her gaze fixed on her granddaughter who was looking up at them with vibrant blue eyes.

The Doctor finished what he'd been doing, and came around the other side of the bed. He kissed Jenny's forehead. "You were amazing."

Jenny beamed. "Thanks, Dad."

"They look completely human," Rose remarked.

Jenny nodded. "So did their father. Valrians are a highly advanced human species."

"Pshh. So _they_ say," the Doctor scoffed. "Exaggerative species that one. I met a Valrian Earl once. He claimed that Valrian's were more advanced than Time Lords. Like that's even possible."

Rose ignored him. "So in a way they're part human?"

"Yeah, kind of. Although I think they may be more Time Lord than Valarian. They both have two hearts. I could feel them beating when they were in my womb."

"Ha! See? Time Lord is the more dominant species!" The Doctor beamed triumphantly.

Rose and Jenny looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

The Doctor glared at them sulkily for a moment before asking, "So have you thought about names?"

Jenny stared at her daughter. "Well, I was thinking maybe I'd call her, Donna. Do you think that would be all right?"

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a sad glance.

"I think that would be lovely." The Doctor reached down. "May I?"

Jenny nodded and instantly he swung the child into his arms and snuggled her tightly to his chest. He brushed his hand over her downy hair gasping as he suddenly became aware of the colour. "It's ginger. She's got ginger hair just like Donna Noble," he said in awe. "I always wanted to be ginger…"

Rose laughed. "I like your hair."

"Well, it is exceptional hair. But it would be even better if it were ginger."

Rose rolled her eyes and focused her attention back on Jenny. "And what about him?" Her grandson had his little hands balled into fists as he stretched and yawned.

Jenny cradled him to her breast, her eyes sad. "I'd like to name him after his father, Valrzghzubhmn."

The Doctor and Rose both gaped at her for a moment before Rose regained her composure and brushed a single tear from Jenny's cheek. "Uhhh that's perfect," she whispered hesitantly.

Jenny looked from Rose to her father and threw back her head in laughter. "The expression on your faces is priceless," she managed to say between gasps. "Don't worry, we can call him Val, for short."

The Doctor, still holding Donna in his arms, reached out with one hand and rubbed his grandson's head gently. "Well in that case, welcome to the family, Val. I hope you like bananas."

Rose leaned on the doorframe, smiling fondly as she watched the Doctor cradle the two infants to his chest. Jenny was fast asleep on the bed beside him, exhausted from the exertion of labour.

The Doctor bent his head down and began to murmur softly, a look of immeasurable contentment stamped across his features. They had been through so much, felt so much heartbreak, that it was as surreal to feel so happy. Yet she was, incredibly happy, with him, with Jenny, with their first grandchildren. Seeing him now, she knew with certainty that he felt it too, and that knowledge made her even happier. He looked up and held Rose's gaze for so long it made her stomach flutter.

After several moments, the Doctor planted a gentle kiss on the top of Val's dark haired head and then dropped another on Donna's ginger mane, before standing and laying them both gingerly in the small bassinette Rose had discovered in one of the TARDIS's many rooms.

He hesitated slightly as he covered them up and placed his hand over their small bodies protectively. For a moment Rose though he'd scoop them up again, the reluctance to leave them so vivid on his face, but instead he blew them each a kiss and came to stand with her in the doorway.

"They're beautiful," Rose remarked.

"Miraculous," the Doctor corrected. "I can't believe they're our grandchildren, our family. I never thought I'd have that again." His eyes were glossed over with what Rose now knew was hundreds of years worth of sadness and loneliness.

She reached up, caressing his cheek tenderly before placing a chaste, comforting kiss on his lips. "Everyone's allowed a new beginning," she whispered softly, "Even you."

The Doctor rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you." He looked back at Jenny and the babies and his entire face brightened into a wide grin. "It's a good one."

"It really is."

_TBC_


	5. Chapter 5

_ Chapter 5_

The Doctor tucked the paper bag under his arm, breathed deeply and took a step toward the giant, colourful shop before turning away from it for the third time in a row. He knew he was being ridiculous. Rose had only asked him to pick up a few small items for Jenny and the babies on his way back from retrieving an item that he needed to repair the TARDIS.

But the shop loomed before him, all big and shiny, mocking him with its colours and playful marquee.

"Oh, bugger this," he muttered to himself. He squared his shoulders and forced his feet to march through the doors.

Once indoors, the Doctor's eyes widened at the chaos he observed. Dozens of tiny children were running to and fro, playing with toys, laughing and chattering joyfully. Parents were dotted in every aisle, some of them keeping a firm hold on their offspring whilst others dutifully examined the packaging on toys and other items.

Deciding to get this task over as quickly as possible, the Doctor pulled the list from Rose out of his voluminous pocket and examined it carefully. Noting the headings on each of the aisles, he navigated cautiously through the crowd until he found the one he needed.

He quickly located the required items, and wove his way back to the exit before realizing that he would have to pay. Sighing dramatically, the Doctor stood in the long line up and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his turn.

It wasn't until he reached the very cheerful and bubbly cashier called Betty, that he realized he had no money – human or alien - on him.

"Blast," he muttered, digging into his trouser pocket for the psychic paper. He hated doing this, but he had no choice.

Luckily, Betty didn't even question his means of payment, and less than two minutes later he was standing outside the shop again, blinking bewilderedly as he recovered his senses.

The Doctor froze in his tracks and gaped at the TARDIS. The door was ajar with large wooden splinters jutting out of it as though someone had broken through it.

Pulling out his sonic, the Doctor moved forward cautiously, his hearts pounding as he prayed that Jenny, Rose and the babies were okay.

He opened the door slowly, surprised to find the control room completely deserted. As he walked up the ramp he could hear muffled scuffling coming from somewhere down the corridor. He took off toward it at a run, bursting into the library a second later. A quick scan of the room revealed that it had been trashed. Books were scattered everywhere and the sofa was lying on its side.

"Rose?" he called, his brain whirring. Had she fought with something in here? Had Jenny? Was she all right?

Much to his relief, Rose responded. "Doctor? I'm over here."

He stepped over the debris and rounded a corner, his concern only abating once he saw Rose tying a Xevengow to an antique armchair. She finished tightening the rope, wiped her hands on her jeans and came over to him.

"What happened? Jenny and the babies ---"

"Are safe. As soon as the Xevengow came in the TARDIS sealed off their room to protect them."

The Doctor pulled her into a tight hug, he could feel her shaking against his chest. "Are you okay?"

Rose nodded. "I'm fine. It just took me by surprise is all. Jenny and I were taking tea when we heard a crash in the control room. I ran toward it and found this thing. These creatures really want Jenny and her children dead, Doctor. You have to do something."

"You're right." He eyed the Xevengow who was struggling against his bindings. "I'll take care of it. You go check on Jenny and the babies."

Rose kissed his cheek. "Okay. Be careful, you hear?"

He took her hand briefly and squeezed it. "Always."

A brief interrogation revealed that the Xevengow was a new arrival and that more were on their way.

The news caused the Doctor to spring into action. Quickly, he used the sonic screwdriver to create an extra shield to detain the Xevengow, and returned to the control room, retrieving the paper bag he'd dropped when he'd come in.

He pulled out a number of metal objects and immediately set to work on installing them beneath the console. He needed to have a functioning TARDIS before the rest of the Xevengow arrived.

Less than half an hour later, the TARDIS was good as new, and he'd even managed to repair the splintered door. Scooping up the baby things he'd purchased when he was out before, the Doctor headed off to see Rose and Jenny.

"The TARDIS is fixed. We're ready to go," he announced from the doorway.

"Go where?" Jenny asked from the bed, where she was nursing Donna and Val.

"Bedangowlen, to stop the Xevengow from ever trying to harm you again."

"You can do that?"

"He's the Doctor," Rose said proudly. "He can do anything."

"It's true," he agreed cockily.

"Well, almost anything anyway," Rose teased.

"You were right the first time."

Rose just laughed and took the bundle of baby things from him. "Right. So are you going to fly us there or will the TARDIS take us on its own?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were all okay before I took off." He was watching his grandchildren with great love and affection. _They really are perfect_, he thought.

"We're good. I promise." Rose assured him. "Let's let Jenny be, I'll come help you fly."

Reluctantly, he allowed Rose to pull him from the room.

A few minutes later they arrived at the Torchwood offices in Cardiff.

After a quick chat with Jack the Doctor went off to retrieve the Xevengow, while Rose brought Gwen and Jack aboard to meet the babies and say goodbye to Jenny.

"Oh, they're darling," Gwen gushed, reaching eagerly for the baby Jenny offered. While Gwen cuddled Donna, Jenny introduced Jack to her son.

"He's called Valrzghzubhmn," Jenny told him as she placed the infant in his arms, "After his father."

Jack raised his eyebrows slightly, but didn't comment, instead he gazed down at the tiny child. "He's amazing."

"They both are," Rose agreed.

Jack nodded and turned his attention back to Jenny. "We're going to miss you around here."

"I'll miss you too," Jenny admitted. "Jack, I want to thank you for everything you did for me. You too, Gwen. I would never have made it this far without you."

"No problem, it's what we do." Jack flashed his characteristic smile.

"I know, but still, it means a lot to me."

Jack ruffled Jenny's hair fondly. "Anytime. I was glad to help."

The Doctor cleared his throat and four heads spun toward him. "It's time to go."

Jack hugged Val, then handed him back to his mother.

"You make sure you come back and visit sometime." Gwen said firmly as she settled Donna into Jenny's other arm.

"Of course." Jenny agreed.

Gwen waved goodbye and slipped out of the TARDIS.

Jack came over to Rose, enveloping her in a giant hug. "It was good to see you again, Rose. Take care of them. Him too."

"I always do."

"Good."

Jack stood before the Doctor and held out his hand. "Doctor."

"Jack." The Doctor stood stiffly, even as he shook Jack's hand.

Jack tugged, forcing the Doctor forward and pulling him into a hug. "Admit it, Doc, you missed me."

"Maybe a little," the Doctor assented, returning Jack's hug. "Try to stay out of trouble this time."

Jack shook his head, clearly amused. "I could say the same to you. Until we meet again." With that, he saluted playfully and disappeared.

When they arrived on Bedangowlen, the Doctor collected the two Xevengow he'd detained, and left Rose and Jenny on board the TARDIS.

Rose helped Jenny bathe the babies while they waited for the Doctor to return.

"They hardly cry at all," Jenny observed.

"I noticed that too, they're such good babies." Rose giggled as Val flailed his arm, causing water to splash across her face.

"They really are." Jenny was holding a squirming Donna carefully in the warm water as she gently squeezed water from a facecloth over her delicate skin. "I wish their father was here." Jenny added softly.

Rose felt her heart break for the young girl, she'd lost so much in such a short amount of time. "You miss him, don't you?"

Jenny nodded. "I really do. He was an amazing man."

Rose finished washing Val and swiftly wrapped him in a towel and cradled him to her chest. "You're not alone, you know. Your father and I, we'll always be here for you."

Jenny lifted Donna from her tub and promptly mimicked Rose's actions. "Thank you. It helps, knowing that I have family now. I was so scared after it happened, so lost. Now, even though it still hurts, I feel like everything is going to be okay."

Rose pulled Jenny into an awkward, one armed hug. "It will be okay," she assured her. Together they walked to the bed and began dressing the babies.

Just as they finished, both women heard an odd swishing sound coming from somewhere nearby. After exchanging a glance of confusion, they each hugged a baby to their torso and crept cautiously to the corridor.

"Look, it's a new door." Rose said, pointing across the hall. "The TARDIS has created a new room."

"Does that happen often?" Jenny wanted to know.

"She created one for me when I first came aboard."

"Do you think…" Jenny hesitated. "Do you think it's for me?"

Rose grinned and twisted the knob. "Only one way to find out!"

The Doctor whistled happily to himself as he reboarded the TARDIS. His mission had been extremely successful, and he couldn't wait to tell Rose and Jenny the results.

He reached the infirmary and frowned when he found it completely empty. Where were they?

He heard laughter coming from behind him and he turned to see a new doorway directly across from him. He walked toward it, peering around the door to find the rest of his family inside. "The Xevengow won't be giving us anymore trouble," he announced.

Rose spun around, grinning. "Excellent. Look at the lovely room the TARDIS created for Jenny, Val and Donna."

The Doctor stepped inside, praising the TARDIS in his mind as he took in the spacious room. The walls were painted in a variety of shades of green, and the room was divided into two parts. One side contained a large, comfortable looking bed, on which Jenny was currently stretched out on, and the other side held two cradles and a large mountain of neatly organized baby paraphernalia.

"I have my own room!" Jenny beamed at him.

"You do." The Doctor couldn't help but smile back. He walked over to the cradles and gazed lovingly at his grandchildren. "They look happy."

"They are." Rose came to stand behind him. "So how'd you do it?"

"Do what?" he asked distractedly.

"Stop the Xevengow."

The Doctor tore his eyes away from the babies and turned so he could see Rose and Jenny. "Oh. It was quite easy actually."

Jenny looked startled. "Easy?"

"Yeah. It turns out, that the reason their planet was dying was because a fallen meteor rock had blocked their main source of water causing a massive drought. All I had to do was use the sonic to create a hole through the rock. Once they saw the water coming through, it took very little convincing to get them to gather enough men to push the rock aside. Once it was relocated, the water started to flow freely again. They have no need for Valr now, they'll leave it alone."

Jenny stared at him in awe. "You are incredible, Dad." She jumped off the bed and came to him, hugging him tightly. "I love you."

Rose dabbed at her own eyes as she watched the Doctor struggle to hold back tears of joy.

"I love you, too," he whispered, hugging her back. "Jenny," he started once they'd broken apart, "I was going to take you back to Valr, but, if you want, I mean if you don't mind, I mean, I was thinking that maybe instead you could stay here - with us."

Jenny nodded emphatically before he even finished. "I would like that very much."

He exhaled loudly, and Rose suddenly realized how afraid he'd been that Jenny would say no. "That's settled then," she said cheerfully. "What do you say we have some celebratory tea in the kitchen while Donna and Val are still sleeping?"

"An excellent idea!" the Doctor proclaimed. He reached out and took Rose's hand in his, then with the other, he took Jenny's and together, the three of them crept from the room quietly, hand in hand.

_Fin_


End file.
